Rankings / Football

District 7-6A Linebacker Rankings After Week 1: Christopher Theriot Sets the Standard

District 7-6A may be the most star-studded and talented linebacker district in Texas. Christopher Theriot takes the No. 1 spot after a violent, sideline-to-sideline Week 1 performance, but the gap is tight in a district loaded with college-level talent.

1. 1

   Christopher Theriot — Lake Highlands

   LB | #14

   If there was one word to describe Christopher Theriot after watching Lake Highlands against Forney, it would be violent.

   Theriot plays linebacker with urgency.

   He stays square while diagnosing the play, and once he recognizes the gap, there is almost no hesitation. He closes space quickly and arrives at the football with bad intentions.

   There were stretches where he looked like a human missile.

   What separated Theriot from the rest of the district was how consistently he affected the game. He showed sideline-to-sideline range, was constantly around the football and made impact plays throughout the night.

   His production entering the season supports what showed up on film. Theriot recorded 92 tackles and 10 tackles for loss last season after transitioning from safety to linebacker and eventually earning District Defensive MVP honors. He also entered this season with offers from East Central, Millsaps, Washburn and Henderson State.

   Through Week 1, he was the most impactful linebacker I evaluated in District 7-6A.

2. 2

   Mike Swanks — Richardson

   LB | #5

   Mike Swanks made one of the strongest early impressions of any linebacker in the district.

   He has legitimate speed, but what stood out more was how quickly he processed what was happening in front of him.

   When an offensive lineman pulled, Swanks recognized it. When the run declared itself, he understood where he needed to fit. He showed the ability to stay strong and smooth in tight quarters before exploding into the ball carrier.

   When he arrives, he runs his feet and plays with violence through his upper body.

   There is a reckless physicality to his game that makes him fun to watch.

   The biggest thing keeping him behind Theriot after Week 1 was consistency throughout the entire game. Swanks was extremely impactful early, but his presence became less noticeable later, and there are still areas in pass coverage where he can become more polished.

   That does not change the overall evaluation.

   Swanks is a legitimate college linebacker. His public recruiting profile lists Delaware State and Sacramento State offers, and he has since announced another opportunity from Washburn.

   He has the athletic profile and processing ability to continue climbing.

3. 3

   Israel Samuel — Lake Highlands

   OLB | #0

   Israel Samuel may have the most impressive recruiting résumé of anyone on this list, but these rankings are not based on offers.

   They are based on what the linebacker is being asked to do and how well he does it.

   Samuel operates primarily as an outside linebacker in Lake Highlands' odd front, which means his job can look significantly different from a free-roaming inside linebacker.

   On many snaps, he is essentially setting the edge.

   And he does it extremely well.

   Samuel is explosive, fast and physical enough that offenses have to account for where he is lined up. Against Forney, there were stretches where the offense began working away from his side rather than continuously challenging him.

   That matters.

   Sometimes impacting a football game means forcing the offense to change where it wants to go.

   Samuel entered his junior season after recording 63 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown as a sophomore. Lake Highlands head coach Cory Campbell told Dave Campbell's Texas Football that Samuel had already accumulated more than 30 Power Four offers.

   His current offer list includes programs from across the country, and his public X account has recently documented additional offers including UCLA, USC and Florida State.

   He is a legitimate high-level prospect.

4. 4

   Madden Montague — Coppell

   LB | #4

   The first thing that stands out about Madden Montague is his speed.

   He moves extremely well for a linebacker and plays with the range necessary to affect different areas of the field.

   Because a complete Week 1 broadcast was not available for this evaluation, previous film and production carried more weight here.

   And there is plenty of evidence.

   Montague led Coppell with 98 tackles and three sacks last season, averaging 8.2 tackles per game. Coppell's staff has referred to him as the quarterback of the defense, and he earned second-team all-district recognition.

   His combination of speed, experience and production is enough to put him firmly inside the top four.

   Montague may not have the recruiting attention some of the players ahead of him have, but he looks like exactly the type of productive high school linebacker that deserves more eyes.

5. 5

   Jaden Jones — Berkner

   LB | #12

   Jaden Jones produced one of the biggest individual defensive plays anywhere in the district during Week 1.

   Jones jumped an out route, intercepted the football and took it back for a touchdown.

   That play immediately showed his athletic ability.

   He displayed tremendous acceleration after securing the interception, but the rest of his film showed that the speed was not limited to one play.

   Jones flew around.

   He consistently created problems around the quarterback and played with a disruptive style that forced the offense to account for him.

   Berkner ultimately fell to Trinity 28-17, but Jones was selected as both Berkner's overall Player of the Game and Defensive Player of the Game.

   His recruiting profile is also beginning to grow. Public posts from Jones show offers from programs including Tulsa and New Mexico State.

   The pick-six gets attention, but the speed and activity around it are why Jones belongs on the list.

6. 6

   Lakai Wyatt — Lake Highlands

   OLB | #4

   Having Israel Samuel on one side of a defense creates an interesting challenge for everybody else.

   Once Forney began working away from Samuel, more opportunities started appearing in Lakai Wyatt's direction.

   Wyatt answered.

   He made plays on screens, continued pursuing the football and played with physicality despite not possessing overwhelming size at the position.

   That is what stood out.

   He did not need everything designed around him to stay involved.

   Wyatt continued fighting through traffic, showed good speed getting to the football and consistently played with a high motor.

   Dave Campbell's lists Wyatt at approximately 6 feet and 190 pounds and identified him as another outside linebacker Lake Highlands expected to emerge after a strong offseason.

   With three players in these rankings, Lake Highlands clearly has one of the deeper linebacker groups in the district.

7. 7

   Quincey Hunter — Plano West

   LB/Hybrid | #14

   Quincey Hunter's evaluation requires looking beyond the overall defensive performance around him.

   Plano West struggled defensively in Week 1, but Hunter consistently handled his responsibility.

   He played primarily as an outside linebacker and hybrid edge defender, and his physicality stood out immediately.

   When the offense ran toward him, Hunter did a good job maintaining outside leverage and forcing runs back toward the interior of the defense.

   On stretch concepts, he held the edge rather than allowing the running back to simply turn the corner.

   He was also disciplined on the backside of read-option concepts.

   Instead of unnecessarily chasing the running back and giving the quarterback an easy keep read, Hunter stayed home and respected his assignment.

   Those plays might not always appear in a stat sheet.

   They still matter.

   Hunter's physicality, discipline and ability to do his job within the structure of the defense earned him the final spot in the first edition of these rankings.